Embossing tool with die members formed in endless chain



United States Patent [72] Inventors ()fl0R.U1bflCh 3.010,387 11/1961Deutsch l0l/111X Dusseldorf, Germany; 3.155.215 11/1964 Avery.. 197/6]HansKraayenhol,Son, Netherlands ,164,086 1/1965 Keck 101/111 [21 Appl.No 696,937 3.239.048 3/1966 Bogerus .1 l97/6.7

122] Filed Jan. 10,1968 .327.623 6/1967 Diegel.................. 101/18[451 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 3339.694 9/1967 Travaglio 197/6 7 [73]Assignee Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing 3.414.102 12/1968 Norvelle.197/6.7

Company FOREIGN PATENTS 547,391 9/1932 Germany... 101/111 Delaware1.348,461 12/1963 France 101/111 Primary Examiner-Edgar S. BurrAttorneyKinney, Alexander, Sell, Steldt & DeLaHunt 154] EMBOSSING TOOLWITH DIE MEMBERS s g fig gfisggi f ABSTRACT: A tool for use in embossinga polymeric strip material to form labels mcludmg relatively movablehousmgs U-S- Cli supported a election and embossing device in- 97/971 9cluding an endless chain formed of individual die members lllLClconnected flexible links and positioned to follow an oval- Fieldsearch-W shaped path. The housings are separable to insert the stripI01/ material within the housings and within the oval path. A

driven feed roller is biased into en a ement with an idler [56]References Cited roller to feed the tape and is separa le from the idlerroller UNITED STATES PATENTS upon separating the housings to permitthreading of the strip 1 1.368,169 2/1921 Arkin et a1 101/18 material.The selection and embossing device is driven by an 2,096,340 10/ 1937Richeson... 101/111 external knob joumaled on one of the housings andengaging 2.101.444 12/1937 Miles 101/111 the chain.

III

II III) PATENTED on: 81970 SHEET 1 [IF 2 5 JWHMM m k 7 0 U W WA RP K w mm EMBOSSING TOOL WITH DIE MEMBERS FORMED IN ENDLESS CHAIN SPECIFICATIONThis invention relates to an embossing tool for use in embossingcharacters on a strip of material or tape such as described in US. Pat.No. 2,925,625 and in one aspect relates to a hand-held tool actuatableby squeezing pressure to emboss a strip material and subsequentlyincrementally advance the strip material.

Prior art embossing tools of this type ordinarily use large generallysuperimposed circular disks on which are arranged in the proximity oftheir outer periphery the embossing dies to form characters such asletters, numbers, and the like. Examples of these devices are shown inUS. Pat. Nos. 3,155,2l; 3,006,451; and 3,276,559. These relatively largedisks on the circular peripheral surface make the tools inconvenient tohandle because of the size of the circular disk on which the embossingdies are located. Additionally, it is difficult in cases ofpredetermined sized characters and uniform distribution of the samealong the periphery of the circular disk to add to the disk additionalcharacters as is often necessary, for example, when exporting devicesof-this type into countries whose language requires additionalcharacters.

Another form of embossing tool which uses a generally circular support(see U.S. Pat: No. 3,330,397) utilizes a web upon which the dies formingthe characters is placed and this web is disposed around a largecircular drum positioned near the mouth of the tool. This constructionis relatively undesirable in that it uses a circular disk projectingoutward from the tool, making the tool cumbersome and does not affordversatility in the number of characters of a predetermined size whichmay be used.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior knowntools and provides a tool which functions to emboss the tapecommensurate with that of prior known tools.

The tool constructed in accordance with the present inventionincorporates several novel features, one of which is its slenderness andcompactness and the lack of outwardly projecting parts, causing it to bedifficult to package, carry, and store.

The present invention has as one of its features the use of a chainlikeselection and embossing device, including one or more endless chainlikemembers'having individual die members connected by flexible links,disposed within the tool and following an oval path as the device ismoved within the tool to select the desired characters to be embossed onthe strip material.

The tool of the present invention has as another feature the fact thatthe number of characters of a desired size may be changed, to lengthenor shorten the chains and not require or result in any change in thesize or tool design.

A further feature of the present invention is that a supply of the stripmaterial, preferably provided in a cartridge and wound upon itself, maybe inserted conveniently within the body of the tool by simplyseparating the housing forming the lever, which imparts the embossingforce to the die members, from the main body member of the tool. Thisseparation also separates the feed rollers for the tape permitting easythreading of the tape when gaining access to the storage area.

The tool of the present invention is also provided with means whichassure registration of the individual die members at the embossingstation and which afford easy positioning of the guide member byaffording a resistance to rotation of the selection knob.

The tool of the present invention is also provided with a ringpermitting the tool to be tied in place or secured to a cord or belt ofthe user to prevent displacement and loss of the tool.

The above and further advantages of the present invention will be moreclearly understood after reading the following detailed descriptionwhich refers to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embossing tool formed in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embossing tool;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 4-4 of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 5-5 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of one modification of the deviceshown in FIGS. 1 through 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view of a further modification of thedevice shown in FIGS. 1 through 5.

The embossing tool, generally designated by the reference numeral 10comprises a slender main upper body member of housing 11 and a matinglower housing 12 which are pivotally connected at their forward ends andare formed with a slidable catch at the rearmost ends. The contour ofthe rear portion of the upper housing 11 is formed such that the toolmay be grasped in one hand with the rear portion of the upper housingbetween the thumb and forefinger and the fingers wrapped around thelower housing 12 to exert a squeezing action on the tool 10 causing thelower housing 12 to swing into the upper housing 11 and sewing as alever to emboss a piece of tape as will hereinafter be described.Positioned forwardly from the midpoint of the tool 10 and journaled inthe upper wall or portion of housing 12 is a rotatable knob 13permitting selection by the user of various characters desired to beembossed upon the tape. The user may view the characters and positionselected characters at an embossing station within the tool by observingthe position of the characters through windowlike openings 15, 16, and17 formed in the upper portion of the housing 11 forward of the knob 13.By operating the knob 13 to register a character such as the letter A inthe window 15, and squeezing the body of the tool, the operator willemboss the letter A upon the tape. The character indicated in window 15is offset from the die members which produce the embossed character.Windows 16 and 17 serve to aid the operator in locating other charactersand reduce the amount of adjustment for the knob 13 necessary to place adesired character in register with the window 15.

The characters are formed on the tape by individual mating dies formedon superimposed endless beltlike or chainlike members 18 and 19,hereinafter referred to as chains, positioned in parallel planes. Theupper chain 18 and lower chain 19 are guided about an oval-shaped pathwithin the housing 11. The housing 11 is formed of a suitable polymericmaterial and has an inner cavity, the sidewalls of which together withguide members 21, 22, and 23 form an oval-shaped path for the chainswithin the cavity of the housing 11. A generally U- shaped guide plate24 is secured within the housing 11 and disposed beneath the lowerembossing chain 19 to aid in retaining the chains in place with thebight portion 26 of the guide member 24 disposed toward the rear of thetool at one end of the oval-shaped path. The bight portion 26 has awidth greater than the width of the chains to accommodate chains ofslightly longer or shorter lengths in the same tool housing. Verticallyextending guides are molded in the housing 11 and are spaced toaccommodate different length chains.

The chains 18 and 19 are shown in FIG. 4 and are illustrated asone-piece units comprising die members 27 joined by thin flexiblesections or links 28. The die members and links could be separate partsjoined by pins or dovetail pivoted points; however the single moldedform is preferred. The die members can be made from metallic ornonmetallic material. Each of the individual embossing die members 27has an outer head portion with the die formed on one of the axiallyopposite planar working faces, and has an inner bifurcated portionforming a tooth rack with the teeth extending in an axial directionaffording movement of the chains in response to the rotation of knob 13.As illustrated in FIG. 3 and 4 the members 27 of the upper chain 18 areformed with female dies on the lower face and the lower chain 19 hasmale dies formed on the upper face of each member 27. The chains mayalso have a member forming one part of a tape cutting and tabbing knife,the upper chain carrying spaced cutting blades and the lower chain beingformed with an anvil.

The knob 13 has an upper hollow cylindrical head portion 31 with anouter fluted periphery, permitting the same to be easily grasped by theuser and rotated. The inner surface 32 of the knob is formed withcircumferentially spaced ridges and grooves which engage an upstandingresilient post 33 formed integrally with the housing 11. The post 33 isformed to flex and permit rotation of the knob but has sufficientstiffness to return to a normal position between said ridges such thatas the user turns the knob he will feel the degree of rotation impartedto the knob which will indicate the movement of the flexible chains toposition successive members at the embossing station. Depending'from thecentral portion of head 31 is a shank 34 which extends through and isjournaled in an opening 35 formed in the housing 11. Secured to theextended end of the shank 34 is a pinion 37 formed withcircumferentially extending and axially spaced sets of teeth engageablewith the bifurcated ends of the individual members on the chains 18 and19. Positioned between the sets of teeth is a disk-shaped section 38fitting between the chains 18 and 19 and separating the same by anamount equal to the axial dimension of the disk 38. Positioned below thepinion 37 and secured thereto and to the shank 34 is a collar 39 whichaids to guide the lower chain 19 and maintain the same in engagementwith the lower set of teeth on the pinion 37. A washer 41 is forced onthe shank 34 to secure the pinion 37 and collar 39 thereto. The collar39 is also formed with generally radially extending slots 42 whichcooperate with a post 43 upstanding from the lower plate 71 of thehousing 12. The post 43 and the slots 42 prevent rotation of the knob 13and movement of the chains 18 and 19 subsequent to squeezing the housingof the embossing tool to perform an embossing step. These members alsoensure proper registration of the embossing members during operation ofthe tool.

A cavity is also formed within the housing 11 for receiving a cartridge45 and/or a wound roll of embossable tape 46. This cavity is locatedwithin the oval path of the chains 18 and 19 and is defined by the guideplate 24 and by wall members 47 and 48. The forward wall member 48depends to a position below the lower periphery of the housing 11 andserves as a guide for the tape 46 directing the same from the cartridgeunder the collar 39 to a position between a driven feed roller 51 and anidler roller 52 to the embossing station defined at the front portion ofthe housing 11. The housing 11 is formed at the forward end with arecessed area 53 communicating with the interior of the housing 11through an opening 54 formed in the bottom of the recess through whichthe tape will exit onto a base 55 of said recess upon being embossed atthe embossing station located immediately within the housing adjacentthe opening 54. Positioned within the housing 11 at the extreme forwardportion thereof immediately under the base 55 of the recessed area 53are bosses forming a journal for trunnions 56 and 57 at the forward endof a feel roll supporting frame 57. The frame 57 includes transverselyspaced plates 58 and 59in which are formed alined openings journaling aspool 51, having a gear wheel 62 and a coaxially spaced ratchet wheel 63formed thereon, and the feed wheel 51. The gear wheel 62 meshes with agear wheel 64 formed on a spool 65 which also includes the coaxiallyspaced feed wheel 51. The frame 57 is preferably formed of a polymericmaterial, and depending from each plate 58 and 59 is a finger 68 whichengages the bottom wall 71 of the lower housing 12 and urges the feedwheel 51 toward the idler wheel 52 which is suitably journalled in theupper housing 11. Onto the plate 58 is also formed a catch 72 whichextends downwardly from the plate to engage the teeth on the ratchetwheel 63 preventing rotation of the ratchet wheel in a counterclockwisedirection as shown in FIG. 3.

Actuation of the ratchet wheel to afford incremental advancement of thetape 46 is afforded by a pawl extending upwardly from the plate 71 ofthe housing 12. Upon each actuation of the tool by squeezing on thehousings 11 and 12, the housing 12 moves into the housing 11, and pawl73 will be advanced along the ratchet wheel 63, with the catch 72holding the ratchet wheel stationary. and upon subsequent return of thehousing 12 to the position shown in H0. 3 under the bias of a helicalcompression spring 75 positioned between the rear portions of thehousings 11 and 12, the pawl 73 will engage a tooth on the ratchet wheel63 rotating the same in a clockwise direction and the feed wheel 51 in acounterclockwise direction, advancing the tape in an incrementsufficient to move the then-embossed section of the tape outwardly fromthe embossing station into the recessed portion 53. The number of teethand the tooth orientation on the ratchet wheel will depend upon the sizeof the symbols to be embossed since the required degree of linearadvance of the tape is dependent upon the width of the symbol. Movementof the housing 12 a distance sufficient to advance the pawl 73 to asuccessive tooth on the ratchet wheel 63, and less than the distancenecessary to perform the embossing step will advance the tape to form aspace thereon between embossed characters.

As previously mentioned, the housing 12 is pivotally joined to thehousing 11 at their forward ends. The housing 12 has a hook formed atits forward end which fits between the plates 58 and 59 of the frame 57and over a cylindrical portion thereof coaxially alined with thetrunnions 56. Disposed just rearward of the hook or curred forward endportion of the housing 11 and joined thereto are webs 75 which convergeand form a die actuating projection 76 which is positioned at theembossing station below the lower chain 19. This projection 76, uponrelative pivotal movement of housings 11 and 12, causes flexure of thechain 19, forcing the member 27 thereof and male die face positioned atthe embossing station upwardly against the tape and into engagement withthe cooperating female die on chain 18 to emboss the tape. The housing11 is also formed at its rear end with a catch 81 which holds thehousings 11 and 12 together against the bias of the return spring 75.The catch is formed from the material forming the housing 12, andcooperates with projecting shelf 82 formed interiorly of the housing 11,as shown most clearly in FIG. 3, to prevent the normal separation of thehousings.

To insert a cartridge 54 of tape 46 within the tool, the catch 81 isforced inward to free it from the shelf 82 and the housing 11, frame 57,and supported feed roller 51 will be pivoted away from the housing 11.This will permit access to the cartridge cavity. Also, this willseparate the driven feed roller from the idler roller 52 and will exposethe space between the chains 18 and 19 at the embossing station topermit easy threading of the free end of the tape to the opening 54.Return movement of the actuating lever or housing 12 thus returns thefeed rolls to operative position and encloses the tape within the tool.

The tool 10 is also provided with a carrying or securing means in theform of a ring 84 which is fitted in the housing 12 through openings inthe plate 71. The ring 84 may be withdrawn through the openings, fromits position illustrated in FIG. 3, to permit the tool to be hung on ahook or to permit a cord to be tied thereto for securing the tool to atable orbench.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the tool with respect to theembossing means. In this embodiment, the upper chain 85 may be formedidentically to the chain 18 with each die member having a female form.Positioned above the actuating projection and on the underside of thetape at the embossing station is a block 86 of elastomeric materialwhich is deformable, but of sufficient stiffness to force the tape intothe die causing an embossment thereof.

FIG. 7 shows a further modification wherein an upper chain 87 is formedof an elastomeric material and the lower chain 88 conforms to the chain19 carrying male die members. The projection 89 thus forces the male dieagainst the liner side of the tape and the tape against the resistanceof the elastomeric chain 87 to emboss the tape. The upper chain 87 willin this instance also carry visible characters, representing but offsetfrom the actual die on belt 88.

Having thus described the present invention with referenceto thedrawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment and modifications, it willbe understood that further may be made by those skilled in the artwithout imparting from the spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

l. A-tool for embossing strip material comprising:

a slender body member having wall means defining interiorly thereof anoval-shaped planar path extending lengthwise of said body member anddefining an embossing station adjacent one end of said path and of saidbody member;

endless chain means, comprising a plurality of individual die memberslinked together by flexible members, each die member having a planarworking face upon which is formed a die, said chain means being disposedalong said path with said planar working faces of said die membersdisposed in a common plane and with one die member of said chain meansbeing disposed at said embossing station and the remaining dies-beingpositioned along said oval path for at least a substantial portion ofthe length thereof;

drive means extending from the exterior of said body member into theinterior thereof and within and generally perpendicular to the plane .ofsaid endless chain for contacting said endless chain means to advancesaid die members along said path to selectively position individual diemembers at said embossing station;

guide means positioned in said body member for positioning and guiding asaid strip' material from a supply within said body member throughsaidembossing station;

a housing pivotally joined to said body member at said one end forpivotal movement relative to said body member and releasablyconnected'to said body member at the other end to permit separation andaccess to the interior of said body member for inserting said stripmaterial, said housing having actuating means joined thereto andpositioned adjacent said embossing station and cooperable' with a saiddie member at said embossing station and a said strip to cause anembossment to be made on a said strip material at said embossingstation; and

V feeding means for a said strip material for moving the strip materialalong said guide means to and through said embossing station, saidfeeding means being operative to advance the strip material subsequentto each embossing operation,

2. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said endless chain meanscomprises a pair of superimposed members one of which is formed withindividual female die members disposed in a planar path and the other isformed with male die members disposed in a path parallel and in opposedrelationship to said planar path.

3. A tool as defined inclaim 2 wherein said feeding means comprises:

an idler roller joumaled in the body member; and

a driven roller urged into driving engagement with said idler roller.

4. A tool as defined in claim 3 wherein said driven roller is mounted ona frame pivotally'connected to said body member at said one end, andwherein means connected to said frame and positioned to engage saidhousing urges said driven roller toward said idler roller when saidhousing is connected to said body member at said other end, and ratchetand pawl means are provided for driving said driven roller in responseto relative movement of said body member and said housing.

5, A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said endless chain meanscomprises a single endless chain of said individual die members whichcooperate with a resilient member at the embossing station to emboss asaid strip material.

6. A tool as defined in claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises aknob rotatably mounted in said body member and pinion means, rotatablewith said knob, positioned within the periphery of said chain to engagesaid inner portions of said die members for driving said chain alongsaid oval path upon rotation of said knob. V

7. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said endless chain meanscomprises an endless chain of individual die members and flexible linksintegrally joined, with each die member having a head portion havingopposite faces, on one of which faces is formed the die, and abifurcated inner portion forming, together with the inner portions ofadjacent members, a toothed rack affording drivemeans for said chain.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,55,587 Dated June 4, 1971 Inventofls) Otto R. Urbach and Hans KraavenhofIt is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 61, "points' should be Joints Column 4, line 2 "curred"should be curved 7 Column 5, line 1, after "further" the wordmodifications should be inserted.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of September 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDI'JARD M.FLETCHER, J'R. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Pate

